362 ARIADNE FLORENTINA. 



20. Now I shall endeavour to-day to set before you the art 

 of Botticelli, especially as exhibiting the modesty of great im- 

 agination trained in reverence, which characterized the south- 

 ern Keformers ; and as opposed to the immodesty of narrow 

 imagination, trained in self trust, which characterized the 

 northern Reformers. 



' The modesty of great imagination ; ' that is to say, of the 

 power which conceives all things in true relation, and not only 

 as they affect ourselves. I can show you this most definitely 

 by taking one example of the modern, and unschooled temper, 

 in Bewick ;* and setting it beside Botticelli's treatment of the 

 same subject of thought, namely, the meaning of war, and 

 the reforms necessary in the carrying on of war. 



21. Both the men are entirely at one in their purpose. 

 They yearn for peace and justice to rule over the earth, in- 

 stead of the sword ; but see how differently they will say what 

 is in their hearts to the people they address. To Bewick, war 

 was more an absurdity than it was a horror : he had not seen 

 battle-fields, still less had he read of them, in ancient days. 

 He cared nothing about heroes, Greek, Roman, or Norman. 

 What he knew, and saw clearly, was that Farmer Hodge's boy 

 went out of the village one holiday afternoon, a fine young 

 fellow, rather drunk, with a coloured riband in his hat ; and 

 came back, ten years afterwards, with one leg, one eye, an old 

 red coat, and a tobacco pipe in the pocket of it. That is what 

 he has got to say, mainly. So, for the pathetic side of the 

 business, he draws you two old soldiers meeting as bricklay- 

 ers' labourers ; and for the absurd side of it, he draws a stone, 

 sloping sideways with age, in a bare field, on which you can 

 just read, out of a long inscription, the words " glorious vic- 

 tory ; " but no one is there to read them, only a jackass, who 

 uses the stone to scratch himself against. 



22. Now compare with this Botticelli's reproof of war. He 



* I am bitterly sorry for the pain which my partial references to the 

 man whom of all English artists whose histories I have read, I most es- 

 teem, have given to ono remaining member of his family. I hope my 

 meaning may be better understood after she has seen the close of this 

 lecture. 



